UNESCO SITE JOYA DE CERÉN & SAN ANDRÉS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS

Joya de Cerén is a snapshot of the life of a Mayan community buried in volcanic ash during an eruption.
Around the year 590 A.D. a quiet village was surprised by an eruption from a nearby volcano. The villagers escaped leaving behind almost everything while more than 20 feet of volcanic ash entombed the region. Unique in Mayan World and one of the most important archeological sites in El Salvador. Also known as the Americas Pompeii is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

In San Andrés we find a series of structures and pyramids dating from 600-900 A.D. Also great views to several volcanoes and the surrounding valley. This was the center for commerce and political control in the Zapotitán Valley. It’s influence reached as far as the valley where San Salvador and Copán in Honduras.
According to experts up to 12,000 people lived in the San Andrés area, including Joya de Cerén community. Here’s a very informative museum here along with 7 structures including the Central Acropolis, pyramids and temples.

Zapotitán Valley, in Central El Salvador, is a rich fertile valley surrounded by many volcanoes (some still active). This is one of the regions with more archeological structures per Square Mile in the country.

This two archaeological sites are among the most important in the country.

San Andrés was the region’s capital with strong commercial and cultural links with other important cities in Mesoamerica such as Copán in Honduras.